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No mention of dual speed models like Diamond, which would use two 56k lines simultaneously?

Diamond called theirs 'shotgun technology' iirc. I used a pair of USR external modems cobbled into a shotgun configuration via a linux proxy to manage our internet connection, but we got DSL shortly after (and surprisingly early for the rural location we were in).

That could even be done with two completely separate modems.

Not really, as with using something like the diamond that was hidden by the driver.

Indeed, PPP has a multilink feature which an bond packets from multiple modems into a single bitstream. Both the client (your machine - Windows 98 could do it) and your ISP needed to support it.

I remember trying this a few times while at my parents' store. My dad would tell me which phone line I could use that day - either the dedicated line used to process credit cards (if they were closed), or a spare line off the PBX. But occasionally, I was allowed the use of both - and luckily had a pair of PCMCIA modems with the dongles in different places - and could get speeds well above 56k.

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